Sadly, it appears to be a rare thing to read the ancients or the classics for anything but a grade at a university. I’m one of those few people who ‘bother’ to read from the wisdom of others in an attempt to take lessons previously learned so as to not need to learn them on my own. With the volume of words I have read some if the lessons have even stuck. One of which would be from Plutarch, On the Education of Children. It is a bit lengthy, but it a definitely worth every word, so I will post a paragraph of it, and then explain what I find to be of importance.
For indifference ruins a good natural endowment, but instruction amends a poor one; easy things escape the careless, but difficult pthings are conquered by careful application. One may understand how effective and how productive a thing is application and hard work, if he only direct his attention to many effects that are daily observed. For drops of water make hollows in rocks, steel and bronze are worn away by the touch of hands, and rims of chariot-wheels once bent by dint of labour, cannot, no matter what be done, recover their original lines. The bent staves which actors use it is impossible to straighten; indeed the unnatural shape has, through labour, come to predominate over the natural. And are these the only things which clearly show the potency of diligence? No, but myriads upon myriads. A piece of land is good by nature, but without care it grows waste, and the better it is by nature, so much the more is it spoiled by neglect if it be not worked. Another piece is forbidding and rougher than land should be, but, if it be tilled, straightway it produces noble crops. What trees if they are neglected do not grow crooked and prove unfruitful? Yet if they receive right culture, they become fruitful, and bring their fruit to maturity. What bodily strength is not impaired and finally ruined by neglect and luxury and ill condition? On the other hand, what weak physique does not show a very great improvement in strength if men exercise and train themselves? fWhat horses if they are well broken when young do not become obedient to their riders, whereas if they are left unbroken they turn out stubborn and restive? Why wonder at other instances, seeing as we do that many of the wildest animals are made tame and used to their labours? Well did the Thessalian say, when asked who were the most pacific of the Thessalians, “Those who are just returning from war.” But why discuss the matter at length? For character is habit long continued, and if one were to call the virtues of character the virtues of habit, he would not seem to go far astray. I will cite but one more example on this point and then I shall desist from discussing it further. Lycurgus, the lawgiver of the Spartans, took two puppies of the same litter, and reared them in quite different ways, so that from the one he produced a mischievous and greedy cur, and from the other a dog able to follow a scent and to hunt. And then at a time when the Spartans were gathered together, he said: “Men of Sparta, of a truth habit and training and teaching and guidance in living are a great influence toward engendering excellence, and I will make this evident to you at once.” Thereupon producing the two dogs, he let them loose, putting down directly in front of them a dish of food and a hare. The one dog rushed after the hare, and the other made for the dish. While the Spartans were as yet unable to make out what import he gave to this, and with what intent he was exhibiting the dogs, he said, “These dogs are both of the same litter, but they have received a different bringing-up, with the result that the one has turned out a glutton and the other a hunter.” In regard to habits and manner of life let this suffice.
This is so valuable for all to read, especially children, parents, and those who receive money earned by others. IT is even more important for all of those people to understand the meaning. To make it short, the obvious lesson is that lack of natural aptitude can be overcome as easily as those with natural aptitude neglect to use it; that with good training you can excel at just about anything, and with adequate knowledge the sky is the limit.
An excellent small quote is, “Character is habit long continued.” Are you of the habit of waiting for a handout? Your character is that of a selfish entitlement, personal neglect, and civic destruction. Are you in the habit of working hard, not complaining, and doing what has to be done? Then your character is of a strong work ethic, personal pride and responsibility. Which of the two is needed more to make a town, city, county, state, or even nation function? Which of the two should be the focus of our efforts?
There are several ideas about how one should raise their children, there are several ideas as to what one should do in any give set of circumstances, but some of those have, over the ages, proven to be better than others. If one does not care enough to teach their children responsibility and self-reliance, to teach their children to work hard, be industrious, and never to sit on the sidelines when there is change to be an active member in life, then parents are setting up their children to become institutionalized beggars, uneducated criminals, and life-long burdens to society.
Lycurgus’s words have made their way to our own country and culture. There are two types of people in this country, those who hunt for success and who are gluttons, feeding upon the success of the hunters.
Realize which one of these groups our Constitution supports and which group is not supposed to even get a penny from the government according to the Constitution and we can see that the liberals ignore both classical wisdom and the supreme law of the land in order to keep their lap dog votes paid for with the bribes of perpetuated poverty in the form of hand outs. When will we the people agree this needs to stop?
Zeno Sees, Zeno Writes 